Science Weekly

David Molyneux, emeritus professor of tropical disease biology and neglected tropical disease expert. They explore guinea worm biology and painful emergence from humans. They cover eradication tactics like filters and surveillance. They discuss new animal and fish transmission routes and the political and practical hurdles to certifying eradication.

Dr Heather Massey, associate professor studying human responses to cold, discusses saunas, cold plunges and contrast therapy. The conversation covers how heat and cold affect the body, the physiology of cold shock and habituation, observational links to heart health and longevity, and safety and frequency considerations. Short, practical science talk without overclaiming.

Jan Wörner, former ESA director who led major space programs; Ross Andersen, Atlantic writer on space and culture; Ian Sample, science editor at The Guardian. They discuss Artemis II and NASA timelines. They compare lunar and Martian missions. They debate Apollo’s cultural legacy, the science goals at lunar poles, the push for sustained international cooperation, and the politics shaping modern lunar plans.

Dr Christian Smorra, a CERN physicist who led the antimatter transport project, and Ian Sample, The Guardian science editor and reporter, discuss a world-first move of trapped antiprotons. They explain what antimatter is, why it must be moved for precision experiments, how a mobile Penning trap works, the careful transport operation and the surprising safety realities.

Michael Pollan, award-winning author known for books on food, plants and mind, talks about his new book A World Appears. He explores what makes subjective experience uniquely human. He contrasts inner thoughts and feelings, questions whether AI can truly feel, and warns about defending our minds in a tech-saturated world.

Marisol, Melissa and Stephen, close relatives of Alexander Villa, share first-person accounts and emotional testimony about his 2011 conviction. They describe their efforts to find lawyers, assemble transcripts and pursue an appeal. The conversation covers Alex’s neighborhood background, past encounters with police, and a startling whisper found in the case file.

Eliza Gil, a clinical lecturer in infectious disease at LSHTM, gives expert commentary on meningitis and outbreak response. She explains what meningitis is and how bacteria invade. She discusses why outbreaks hit students, the role of carriage and shared vaping, vaccine effectiveness and waning protection, current outbreak control steps, and when contacts should seek treatment.

Dr Anna Barnard, Imperial College researcher on peptide therapeutics, and Adrienne Matei, lifestyle journalist at The Guardian US, explore the rise of grey‑market injectable peptides. They trace who uses them and why. They outline where these products come from and what peptides do. They discuss potential therapeutic directions and the safety, cultural and regulatory debates driving the craze.

They discuss a trial linking intense exercise to spikes in BDNF and possible brain-imaging changes. They explore hedgehog hearing at ultrasonic frequencies and implications for conservation. They examine experiments showing biased AI autocomplete can subtly shift people’s attitudes.

Kelsey Davenport, director of non-proliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, is an expert on nuclear weapons and proliferation. She discusses Iran’s civil nuclear work versus true weapons intent. She explains technical limits of 60% enriched uranium. She assesses damage from recent strikes and how conflict might shape future proliferation risks.